{"id":2479,"date":"2018-10-01T06:05:39","date_gmt":"2018-10-01T06:05:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=2479"},"modified":"2021-03-19T17:47:04","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T17:47:04","slug":"20-useful-home-remedies-for-gas-and-flatulence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/20-useful-home-remedies-for-gas-and-flatulence\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Useful Home Remedies for Gas and Flatulence"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"About one-fifth of the American population is plagued with intestinal gas, which can often cause discomfort and severe embarrassment. Excess flatulence is far from the funny after-dinner letting-one-slip scenario: you could feel the urge to pass wind so strongly at the most inopportune times, even around strangers, and have to excuse yourself from the company. It is estimated that most people pass rectum gas about ten times a day. When it\u2019s more than this, and it happens frequently, you may have an excess flatulence related digestive issue or disease.<\/p>\n

There are two main ways in which gas builds up inside the body. The first is swallowing air while eating or drinking – this causes oxygen and nitrogen to build up. Secondly, hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide all build up in the digestive tract as food is being digested. This is the second source of gas.<\/p>\n

But why do some people need to fire off gas rockets every hour while the rest of the population have placid systems? A build-up of lower intestinal gas can be caused by eating too much of certain kinds of foods, not being able to fully digest certain foods due to lacking certain enzymes, for example, or because the population of good flora in the colon is being overrun by bad bacteria. It could also be happening as part of the manifestation of a bigger disease, such as IBS.<\/p>\n

Try these tested home remedies for gas – you may find that one, in particular, brings you relief or that you need to use a combination of remedies.<\/p>\n

1. Minimize Milk And Dairy Products<\/h3>\n

You may have a dairy<\/a> allergy that upsets your colon without you even knowing it because the symptoms are so mild. The challenge with dairy – especially whole milk products – is that it contains lactose which can be tough to digest naturally. If your body struggles to digest it, chances are you are missing the enzyme lactase which is required to break it down.<\/p>\n

More specifically, dairy contains high, concentrated amounts of disaccharide lactose. This is made up of galactose and glucose linked by a beta-galactoside bond and explains why it isn\u2019t the easiest of foods for the body to break down into easily absorbable nutrients.<\/p>\n

If you have a dairy allergy, you may find signs of digestive discomfort such as gas, belching, upset stomach and bloating 30 minutes to 2 hours after consuming it. In addition, you may also experience non-digestive symptoms such as hives or a runny nose. Always read labels to make sure the foods are lactose-free.<\/p>\n

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\"\"2. Practice Becoming Dairy \u2018Tolerant\u2019<\/h3>\n

If dairy is the cause of your \u2018windfall\u2019 every day but you just can\u2019t handle the thought of omitting your cheese<\/a> and yogurt, or switching to almond and soy milk, you could try becoming lactose tolerant. There is some scientific evidence to suggest that it is actually possible, by building up small amounts of dairy in your diet and spacing out the frequency of when you enjoy your milky treats.<\/p>\n

Spread out your consumption of milk by having only half a glass at a time, until you can handle one glass. You could start with one serving a day, then perhaps with breakfast and dinner, but not throughout the day. The best time to start would be incorporating your small glass of milk or yogurt with dinner. This is because food slows down the digestion of lactose, and therefore the impact of the symptoms. Practice this regimen until your symptoms are very mild before adding other dairy products such as cheese and yogurt in small amounts.<\/p>\n

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\"\"3. Drink Apple Cider Vinegar<\/h3>\n

Most people recoil at the mere thought of this sour-smelling fermented drink, but it really is nature\u2019s cure-all. ACV<\/a> is rich in nutrients and compounds such as acetic acid which ruthlessly set to work ridding your gut of bad bacteria. The effects of this natural remedy are often so quick that its healing effects can be felt in only a few hours. Most notably, it is used to fight digestive, bacterial and fungal ailments.<\/p>\n

As an antifungal, ACV can kill bad populations of bacteria faster than almost anything else, allowing for proper flora inhabitation of the gut. While probiotics would promote good bacteria, ACV allows them to thrive by removing the stranglehold: the insurgents of the gut. This allows for much more improved digestion and nutrient uptake, with many users reporting a decrease in If you suffer from celiac disease and wheat allergy. The ACV will help with this too as it helps your body to better break down carbs, which would otherwise inflame the colon.<\/p>\n

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\"\"4. Omit Beans From Your Diet<\/h3>\n

Beans<\/a> seem to be a number one culprit when it comes to foods that cause gas. This humble legume is well known for elevating gas emissions in even those who are not prone to passing much wind. So why is this? It\u2019s all down to the polysaccharides they contain, a type of carbohydrate. Once in the gut, they ferment easily – and fermented food has a high gas content. To make matters worse, gut bacteria love these carbohydrates so speed up the fermentation even quicker. It\u2019s just one big bean-meets-bacteria fest in your stomach!<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no need to avoid beans altogether. Make sure they\u2019ve been pre-cooked, such as the tinned variety. Or, have them in a meal that requires slow cooking, such as a stew. The best bet is to soak them overnight which makes them easier to digest properly, meaning more nutrients will be taken up. It also helps to avoid the after meal wind builds up.<\/p>\n

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\"\"5. Avoid Foods Containing Plenty Of Peas<\/h3>\n

Mushy peas and pea soup are gas-inducing culprits similar to beans. These contain oligosaccharides and fiber<\/a>, with the former being particularly indigestible in the small intestine. It tends to make its way through the GI tract completely undigested, having more opportunity to ferment and release gas along the way. The uncomfortable feeling of bloat you get is no exception. Chickpeas also fall into this category, therefore, being wary of how many of these your consume can make the difference between suffering and relief.<\/p>\n

So how do you know if your gas is down to peas or chickpeas and not some other vegetable you\u2019ve been eating – could the culprit not be broccoli? The answer lies in the smell accompanying the flatulence. Beans, peas, and chickpeas are no sulfurous and so won\u2019t give off foul-smelling emissions. If it\u2019s smelling like a rotten egg, your wind\u2019s not down to peas or beans but probably cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage or cauliflower.<\/p>\n

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\"\"6. Give The Junk Food A Miss<\/h3>\n

The extra gas you notice after chowing down on those comforting fries, onions and burgers are not merely the results of you probably have eaten more than you should have. Fast, fatty foods are delicious but you really can be prone to paying the price afterward not just by the widening girth of your waistline, but by how windy you are.<\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s to blame? Turns out it\u2019s the saturated bad fats and trans fatty acids. Some fats, such as Omega 3<\/a> and 6 are good for you, but these fats do not fall into that category. They only aggravate and inflame the bowel, making the body want to expel them as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

If the food can\u2019t be expelled quickly, the colon will manifest its irritation and become bloated. The result is likely discomfort and increased wind. The problem is made worse when the reward center in your brain tells you that it needs another \u2018hit\u2019, thanks to the high salt and sugar content in junk food, and you indulge in further portions.<\/p>\n

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\"\"7. Chew Your Food Properly<\/h3>\n

Turns out, mothers do know best when it comes to making sure that you are eating properly, namely, chewing your food slowly so as to assist with effective digestion. When you race through your food, big, hard-to-digest makes its way to the digestive tract. This greatly increases the chance of the food lying around, fermenting and giving you the dreaded bloat, which is sometimes accompanied by constipation<\/a> and, of course, windiness.<\/p>\n

Chewing mindfully means that the food mixes with saliva the way it is meant to. Saliva is the first part of the digestive process. The lubrication also helps food to travel down the food pipe easier, for food to be broken down in the stomach so it doesn\u2019t reach the lower intestine largely undigested.<\/p>\n

Drinking lots of soda with a meal or other liquids to \u2018wash it down\u2019 is not the answer. This is not a replacement for saliva and in fact, only makes matters worse. Soda, in particular, erodes, dilutes and interferes with the stomach acids needed for digestion.<\/p>\n

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\"\"8. Consume Foods High In Probiotics<\/h3>\n

Enzymes<\/a> and probiotics are required for the intestinal area to stay healthy. Often, poor digestion is a result of bad bacteria in the gut such as candida which can run rampage in the digestive and urinary tracts causing all sorts of infections. One of the severest side effects is poor digestion and IBS-like symptoms: lots of gas, cramping and diarrhea or constipation. Often, eating too much yeast is literally to blame, and so are antibiotics, as they kill the bad bacteria along with the good bacteria. The only issue is: bad bacteria knows a good, comfy home when it finds one, adapts, and grows back faster.<\/p>\n

After killing off bad bacterial strains with apple cider vinegar (take it in lemon water or as a relish with olive oil if you don\u2019t like the taste), consume foods rich in probiotics to aid good bacterial growth. A known food great for this is yogurt – but it must be the white, unsweetened form with live cultures.<\/p>\n

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\"\"9. Eat More Ginger<\/h3>\n

Ginger<\/a> is packed with nutrients and antioxidants that help the body in a host of ways. One of those ways is with digestion. Whether you consume it as a tea or pickle, make sure to take in plenty! A cup of ginger tea before your meal and last thing at night goes a long way to helping indigestion.<\/p>\n

Because of this, ginger is often prescribed as an aid to help manage IBS. This is the natural way with no side effect, bare the possibility of an allergy. When there are IBS flare-ups which bring pain and gas, the intestinal muscles actually contract. The spice compounds in ginger help these muscles to relax so that the symptoms are not as intense. It also insulates and protects the colon from further damage – it is an antioxidant but also an astringent in its own way. Ginger tea before meals and at night before bedtimes is also specifically known to lessen gas.<\/p>\n

\"\"10. Drink Peppermint Tea<\/h3>\n

Like ginger tea, peppermint tea<\/a> comes with wonderful restorative and healing properties, especially for the digestive tract. It\u2019s no coincidence that most restaurants will offer you after-dinner mint-flavored candies. Peppermint will take away dinner breath, alleviate heartburn and also work wonders if you\u2019re feeling bloated and gassy.<\/p>\n

As a herb, the active ingredient in peppermint is menthol. This menthol is an antioxidant but is also a muscle relaxant, like ginger. When the gut is irritated it cramps up, inhibiting digestion. As it does so, more air is trapped inside so the gas is not only manifest but painful. Menthol relaxes these muscles so the spasms are less pronounced. This gives food a greater chance of being digested and as a result, there should be lowered gas volumes, and certainly less pain when passing the gas. The best way to ingest peppermint is in tea form – either buy it or grow your own herbs. Simply pop the peppermint leaves into hot water and make your own.<\/p>\n

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\"\"11. Up Your Exercise And Activity Levels<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re a distant cyclist who eats loads of bananas for potassium<\/a>, this is not for you because you\u2019re bound to have gassy \u2018cyclist\u2019s\u2019 gut already. Moving is good for the gut on many levels. The first is that in the lying down position or hunched over position such as when eating in front of the TV, food just cannot move down the digestive tract effectively.<\/p>\n

The \u2018food pipe\u2019 is not a slide and neither is the rest of the tract. Food is moved down by precise muscle contractions. It is a bit like trying to shake objects out of a narrow bottle opening – the more the bottle shakes, the better the chance of success.<\/p>\n

As for other links, there are two more. The first is that many depression remedies have bloatedness as a side effect, and therefore gas. Activity stimulates brain feel-good hormones. The better you feel, the lower a dosage you\u2019ll have to take.<\/p>\n

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\"\"12. Avoid Eating Mushroom-Rich Dishes<\/h3>\n

As far as causing gas goes, mushrooms <\/a>have to be one of the most innocuous vegetables – not the usual suspects! Eating a few mushrooms in your omelet is fine, but, as it turns out, mushroom risotto or soup three times a day can be the cause of your windiness. Mushrooms contain moderate amounts of both raffinose and fructans. Malabsorbed fructose is a big factor in digestive distress. Raffinose, on the other hand, is a type of carbohydrate and the worst of the oligosaccharides. The body simply cannot digest this and will try to expel it otherwise.<\/p>\n

Raffinose cannot be digested because as humans we are missing the enzyme alpha-galactosidase enzyme required to do so. As a result, it passes through your GI tract without having been broken down. Then, it reaches the large intestine where the bacteria are waiting to party with it and have a fermenting ball at a time. The result? Clouds of internal methane, hydrogen and other gases which have to be expelled from the backside.<\/p>\n

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\"\"13. Cure Overactive Gut With Cilantro<\/h3>\n

An overactive gut is directly linked to more gas<\/a> emissions from the body because the muscles simply won\u2019t relax, squeezing out gas as the natural byproducts of food. A study in Digestive Disease and Science journal found that IBS symptoms were markedly improved in individuals who took coriander or cilantro, which contains powerful soothing agents.<\/p>\n

Cilantro is also known as coriander and is commonly used to add flavor to curries, some stews, salsa and Mexican foods in general. It has a zesty flavor that awakens the dish, although in general, it\u2019s like Bovril: people either hate it or love it. It looks like celery or flat-leaf parsley and is a green, stalky herb. The soothing agents are contained in the oils, namely in the compounds linalool and geranyl acetate. They relax the colon muscles which not only means less gas is likely to be produced, it also offers good relief from abdominal cramps.<\/p>\n

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\"\"14. Find The Perfect Fiber Balance<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019ve ever been constipated, chances are you were told: eat more fiber. Yes, fiber is terribly important to get the bowel<\/a> moving so waste can be cleared from the body naturally. The same is true of adequate hydration. If you don\u2019t eat enough bran, whole grains or vegetables that contain fiber, waste cannot be evacuated from the body. The result is food that languishes in the gut, ferments for longer than 48 hours, leaves you feeling distended and near death with bouts of flatulence.<\/p>\n

The answer though is not to overload your body with fiber in response. Too much fiber will not only overwork the colon but cause it to be highly irritated and raw. When the colon is irritable, it reacts like a moody teenager and the result is increased cramps and gas. Increase your fiber intake in small increments at first, or you\u2019ll only aggravate any underlying conditions such as IBS or diverticulosis.<\/p>\n

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\"\"15. Get Into The Right Position To Release Wind<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019ve had a severe bout of flatulence but are not a normally windy person, it could simply be that air is trapped inside but you are not giving it an appropriate chance to escape. Sometimes, the body needs a little help as gravity is not enough.<\/p>\n

The first thing a doctor will do after you have an in-hospital procedure is to routinely get you off your hospital bed and slowly walking as soon as possible. If this is not possible, physiotherapists<\/a> may be called in to give you leg bicycles. They are trying to stimulate circulation but also the bowel into emitting any trapped gas that could cause complications.<\/p>\n

Also, if your body isn\u2019t working properly, one of the first indications would be if you were unable to pass wind. The second effective position is one often used to relieve wind in babies as well. Lie down on your back and pull your knees up to your chest. This position is favorable towards much-needed wind release.<\/p>\n

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\"\"16. Use Fennel Seeds, Caraway, Anise Or Celery<\/h3>\n

For hundreds of years, these seeds and herbs have been known to alleviate wind. When you\u2019re not sure where to find them, head straight for the supermarket spice section. If you only buy one, buy fennel. This is the optimal one as most people find it palatable and it can be incorporated into salads or as an addition to your meals.<\/p>\n

The compounds in these seeds prevent dinner burps and gas. This effect on the intestinal tracts has been documented for eons. No one is quite sure why this is so but it is probably because these seeds are natural anti-inflammatories<\/a> and soothing agents. You may also find that instead of having less gas, you have a bout of wind after dinner, which is the end of it. The gas is propelled out in one go properly, rather than coming in a steady stream for hours afterward. To achieve this effect, chew half a teaspoon of fennel after a meal.<\/p>\n

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\"\"17. Consume Chamomile Tea<\/h3>\n

When you\u2019ve ever been really anxious or prone to insomnia<\/a> due to worry, you may have looked for a natural remedy. Other than lavender and valerian root, you may have noticed that almost every natural remedy will feature chamomile for its calming properties on the nervous system. Chamomile calms not only the central nervous system but tummy nerves too. A happy, less volatile stomach will naturally lead to less flatulence, bloating and cramps.<\/p>\n

Herbal teas such as chamomile in particular work by reducing the amount of air in the intestines in the first place. Because it pushes air out, it reduces the possibility of a gas build-up. By calming the entire digestive tract, it also promotes proper bowel functioning, so waste is expelled regularly and on time. This too leaves less chance of a gaseous explosion in the tummy. It also adds to further alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with flatulence.<\/p>\n

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\"\"18. Try Shiatsu Massage<\/h3>\n

Shiatsu<\/a> massage is able to relieve excessive farting in a way similar to acupuncture. Shiatsu unblocks the natural energy paths or meridians required for healthy functioning, much as in acupuncture. This is done by stimulating pressure points, but a sharp finger or knuckle movements are used, not needles. Once the meridian responsible for digestive health is unblocked, you should experience a return to normality, including a significant reduction in gas.<\/p>\n

If you understand Shiatsu, you can, therefore, relieve yourself of wind very quickly. You\u2019ll need to be able to access that part of the body or all the points of the meridian that need to be unblocked, then press or stimulate them hard for about a minute each to get the desired effect. If you\u2019re doing it correctly, you may have to stop in between as it\u2019s uncomfortable to sustain that pressure on a point for too long. A useful digestive pressure point is on the ball of your foot, about a finger\u2019s width from the ball of the foot, but still on the arch.<\/p>\n

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\"\"19. Enhance Your Enzyme Intake Naturally<\/h3>\n

Indigestion<\/a> in some way, shape or form is usually responsible for a bad case of the farts. When food cannot be properly digested, this is because digestive enzymes are lacking. Without lactase, for example, you cannot digest lactose and therefore dairy will upset your stomach. Women tend to lack enzymes more than men, but both genders stop naturally producing enzymes with age.<\/p>\n

To counter this, you could eat fruits such as pineapple, kiwi, grapefruit, and papaya which are rich in a general array of broad-spectrum digestive enzymes. The enzymes need to be released in the body first and awaiting food on which to act, so you cannot eat the food first. Eat slices of these helpful fruits about 30 minutes prior to your main meal and feel the difference. You should also feel far less sluggish after you eat. Food that\u2019s not broken down will also cause constipation, leading to gas. These fruits counter the risk of constipation as well.<\/p>\n

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\"\"20. Baking Soda And Lemon<\/h3>\n

Baking soda<\/a> is the cure-all kitchen aid ingredient in the way that apple cider vinegar is nature\u2019s wonder drug. Baking soda is firstly great for resetting the body\u2019s pH balance. Disease and malfunction thrive in acidic bodies, but simply cannot in alkaline bodies. Interestingly, acidic foods such as lemon and vinegar are alkaline once consumed in the body, which is why they work so well.<\/p>\n

Baking soda is so potent that after two days, you can even normalize blood pressure. As a digestive aid, it\u2019s alkaline-restoring properties, antioxidant qualities, and muscle relaxing effects bode well for reducing tummy stress and malfunction. Added with lemon, this only increases your chance of getting to an alkaline state quickly. Squeeze the juice of a lemon into a glass of water, then add one tablespoon of baking soda. Wait for the fizz to disappear. Drink it, and wait for the effects to be palpable. This is also a great remedy for bloating and nausea.<\/p>\n\r\n

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